The Indian Express                        12.04.2013

To give pedestrians room, PMC hunts for hawker space

Struggling to prevent encroachment of roads and footpaths which
frequent action on hawkers has failed to check, the Pune Municipal
Corporation (PMC) will identify locations for weekly and fortnightly
markets for them to operate. Setting up such spaces is part of the civic
body’s policy for hawkers that is awaiting the state government nod.

The civic administration has been repeatedly carrying out drives
to evict hawkers from roads and footpaths, without much success. The
state government has been urging PMC to prevent city roads and footpaths
from being encroached so that pedestrians get their space.

“The only way to discourage hawkers from encroaching roads and
footpaths is to provide them with an alternative space to carry out
their business for livelihood. Thus the civic administration has decided
to set up weekly and fortnightly markets across the city where hawkers
can sell their ware,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Rajendra
Jagtap.

The PMC administration has identified 10 locations where hawkers’
markets can come up, he said adding that the search for more vacant
places is on across the city.

“Places close to main roads would be preferred but they should
not interfere with footpath or road space. The civic administration is
also looking at amenity spaces available with the civic body,” Jagtap
said.

He said efforts are on to implement the civic body’s policy for
hawkers that allows setting up such markets, even though the policy is
awaiting state government approval. The administration will also
implement the policy of keeping 45 roads free of hawkers, Jagtap said.

There is a demand from some to allow hawkers to operate on a few
roads by making them no-vehicle zones for selected hours so that hawkers
can carry out their business and citizens can take advantage of it.